The crisis of mysticism : quietism in seventeenth-century Spain, Italy, and France / by Bernard McGinn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McGinn, Bernard, 1937- author.

Series:

McGinn, Bernard, 1937- Presence of God ; v. 7.

The presence of God ; vol. 7

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mysticism--History--17th century.

Mysticism.

Quietism--History--17th century.

Quietism.

History.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xx, 378 pages : 1 illustration ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Crossroad Publishing Company, [2021].

Summary:

The Crisis of Mysticism: Quietism in Seventeenth-Century Spain, Italy, and France is the first book in English in seventy years to give a full account of the struggle over mystical sirituality that tore the Catholic Church apart at the end of the seventeenth century, resulting in papal condemnations, scoreso f spiritual books being put on the Index of Forbidden Books, and the decline of mysticism in Catholicism for almost two centuries. From the second quarter of the seventeenth century on various mystical authors were accused of over-emphasizing the interior prayer of quiet to the detriment of the active obligations and duties of all believers. In the last quarter of the century these accusations increased and were augmented by charges of immoral teaching against a Spanish priest residing in Rome, Miguel Molinos, and even an Italian Cardinal, Pier Matteo Petrucci. Both were condemned in 1687. During the next decade attacks for similiar mistaken teaching about the prayer of quiet, as well as views about a love so pure that it even gave up hope for salvation, were made against French mystics, especially Madame Jeanne Guyon, Francois Malaval, and Archbishop Francois Fenelon, whose mystical teachings were censured in 1699. The result was a true crisis in the history of mysticism. -- Dust Jacket Front Inside Flap.

Contents:

Preface

From quietude to quietism

Italian quietism

Early French quietism: François Malaval and Jeanne Guyon

The climax of quietism: Guyon, Fénelon, and Boussuet

Aftermath and conclusion

Appendix: Official condemnations of quietism.

Notes:

"A Herder & Herder book."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 343-360) and indexes.

ISBN:

0824504674

9780824504670

OCLC:

1226763910